Hetal Mehta, Daiwa Capital Markets

Another month, another record. The fact the government borrowing was higher in September this year than a year ago - and indeed higher than in any September - is concerning given the higher VAT receipts and stronger pace of economic growth earlier in the year. There was a big increase in interest payments, which risks getting larger if the government fails to follow through fully on its plans to reduce the deficit.

Today's data highlight the scale of the challenge ahead, and therefore we do not expect any significant 'reprofiling' from the Spending review announcement later today. The chancellor will have to go ahead with implementing savage cuts to achieve his goal.

Howard Archer, IHS Global Insight

The public finances were worse than expected in September and disappointingly showed deterioration compared to a year earlier, thereby highlighting the need for the chancellor to rein in public spending.

Chancellor George Osborne may still be able to meet his target of £149bn in 2010/11, although much will depend on how well economic growth holds up over the rest of the financial year. If the current rate of overall improvement was replicated over the whole fiscal year, the public sector net borrowing requirement would come in at £148bn.

A serious problem for the government though is that interest payments are increasing markedly. The government will highlight this as a key reason to why there should be no delay in enacting measures to improve the public finances.

Samuel Tombs, Capital Economics

September's public finances show that the slowing of the wider recovery in recent months is starting to weigh on the borrowing figures.

Admittedly, thanks to better than expected borrowing in prior months, this figure still leaves a cumulative borrowing total in the first six months of the fiscal year of £73.5bn, around £4bn below last year's equivalent figure. But September's overshoot casts further doubt on the ability of the government to meet the June budget forecasts, and casts a shadow over the spending review, to be delivered to parliament at 12.30pm today.

Philip Shaw, Investec

The figures are still running a little bit below the equivalent period in the previous financial year and, arithmetically at least, seem on course to meet the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast for 2010/11.

Peter Dixon, Commerzbank

We look to be on track for the OBR's 2010/11 forecasts, which at £149bn for this year isn't a particularly low target. We still think there's a possibility of a slight undershoot, but we're only half way through the year and there's nothing in these figures to suggest borrowing is coming down at the faster pace which the government would like, which makes the comprehensive spending review more important because that's the only way borrowing is going to come down more sharply."